Switch for electric circuits.



PATENTED, SEPT. 11, E. R. WHITNEY. I SWITCH FOE ELECTRIC CIRCUITS.

APPLIOATI ON FILED JUNE 2, 1904.

.rection, for sto position without requiring the switch member too far, so as to reverse the current from the motor, thereby putting tor with: full W. atever of My invention relatestoreversing-switches J of the electricamotor drive of machine the operator may be able .to move the switch move the switch member'as t e motor with.

( t emE.

EDDY R. WHITNEY, OF LYNN. MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNUK' o GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION or NE YORK.

SWITCH FORELECTRIC omcurrs.

UNITE smr nsmrrnnr Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Sept. 1 1, 1906.

massacres.

' A plioatiunfiledJi1ne2,1904. Seria1Nm210.809.

To aid whom it may concern: f and .Fig. 2 shows diagrammatically Be it known that I, EDDY R. WHITNEY, a {switch-circuits applied to the control of an citizen of the United States, residing at Lynn, electrle motor.

county of Essex, .State of Massaelu'isetts, "In Fig. 1, A represen'tsth'e frame of the ave invented'certain new and useful Irni switch provided with sultablelugs for attach provements in Switches forElectrie Circuits, I

ing to a support. of which the following is a specification.

sulating material secured to the frame A and carrying stationary contacts 0 to c". I resents the movable switch member, pivoted to the frame A at b. and carrying the three for electric circuits, and is fparticularly adaptreversing-switches or electric motors l although it is not limited to this'specifie apmovable contacts I), bf and b, (shown in plication; Forcertain applications of elecdotted lines.) Thepos tion'of-switch memtric motors-such, for-instance, as in the case ber B (shown in Fig, is the ofi position of f theswitch, and as it it is v desirable to em loy a single switch l tlon or the other the. motor will adapted. for'starting t e motor in eitherdi l ping, and for reversing. Such a switch' shou d be placed conveniently for the operator, and should be so designed-that Lever E is quickly from either running position to off cam-slot of approximately 2 l shape in the stationary member G. H-H represent two pivoted dogs which are nor-' mally heldlin'the position shown by the s rings h h, respectively,

transdbgs against theastops -i t. mitting mechanism. It 1s also desirable that Referring now to Fig. 2, the theoperator shouldv be able to start the mo range'ments will be described. field ,without disturbing the t e armature, and m the field,

s eed :controlling field -rheostat. q'lhis en-. I motor.

a hes the (operator after once adjustin the acrossthe ine Z. Z

.circuit ar- M represents of an (166%110 through the iield-rlieostat speed to stop and start the motor and )ring By means of this rheostat the motort back to the same speed without furtheradheld stren th and consequentlythe speed ustmena- This isimpossible with starting may be adjusted. Leads are brought from switches as ordinarily arranged.

One object of i invention is to provide a switch which-shall enable the operator to quickly as may with no danger carrying it too far, so as to reverse'the motor. i is moved to either extreme position, contact Another object ol' m v invention is to pro b leaves contacts 0 and c" vide'ia sim le form of startin and a resistance shall enab e the operator to stop and start th the terminals of the field-rheostat R to con tacts 0 and c, which areengaged hymovablecontact b when member B is in the oil position, as shown. Thus eircnited at starting and ways start with'full field.

be desired to the oil position, the motor will al.-

g-switch which is thrown into the field-circuit, the amount of r 's resistance dependingon the previous adlull field. without disturbing I justment of rheostat ll; Thus h t ie speed-eontrolling lield-rheostat.

My invention will best be understood from the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 shows a reversing-switch con structed in accordance with my invent-ion, l

' without disturbing the field rheostat'. I I

SJith the switch member B in the position i represents a slab of in- B repa pin (1, on

in a position at right angles to two s rm sl everE carries at its end a roller 6, which which press the Motor-field m is shown connec ed .Whenmember B rheost'at R short- F t e operator l is enabled to start the motor under fullfield speed -controlling l i125 shove, the circuit of the armature M is stat R. Similarly, it will be seen by tracing out the circuits that when switch member B is moved to the left from the off position armature M "again has its circuit closed, but with its connections relatively reversed, and when switch member B is brought into ongagement with contact 0 starting resistance r is again short-circuited. Thus the ar rangement of contacts is adapted to. start the motorin either direction with full field and to bring the motor to the speed determined by the previous. adjustment of the field-rheostat.

Now referring again to Fig. l, the fun ction oi the cam-slot of member G and the dogs ll H will be explained. if member B moved toward the right from its oil position, the roller 6 will travel down the slope of the cam slot in member G until it strikes the toe of dog H. 1 As the motion of meinhorB is continued roller E will push dog ll aside and will pass the corner of the cam-slot and travelnxpward into the extremity of the slot, The

extremity of the slot limits the movement of member B and stops it at the full-speed run ning position. After the passage of roller c dog H will be pressed back into the position shown against stop 'i by the spring a. Now if it is desired to return si'itch member B quickly to its oii position roller will travel along; down the slot until it strikes the toe of dog ll. ii is now pressing against'the Ro lcr c willco'nse uently travel along the face oi" dog H untiit reaches tho'position' shown in dotted lines. This posrtrbnrepre sents the limit of possible movement inone direction. and corresponds to. the oil? positronv to the full-line position when switch member B is retracted a snfiicient amount to enable the roller to clear the corner of the cam-slot.

The same process will be repeated when the switch member is moved to the left to operate the motor in the opposite direction. Roller c is thus given a zigzag movement, and it is impossible to carry the switch member to meet varying-requirementsf stop 2' and cannot be pushed out ofthe wayi] v by Letters Patent oi the United States, is

from either running position to the other by a unidirectional movement. Consequently the operator may move switch member B from either running position as rapidly as desired without removing his eyes from the work and without any danger of carrying the switch member to thereverse position.

- I am aware that it has been proposed here toiore to prevent a continuous movement of a reversing-switch from one running position. 7 5 to the other by providing means, such as a spring-pressed pawl, adapted to engage a stop at the off position and to require releasing by the operator before the-movement can be continued; also, I. am aware that it has been proposed heretofore to provide a memher for a reversing-switch movable in'difi'erent planes with a stop or stops, necessitating a shifting of the switch member from oneplanc t0 another;,but i am not aware that lt has 5 been proposed heretofore to provide means for preventing a unidirectional movement from one running position to the other of 'a member movabloin a single plane. By interrupting the/direction of the movement instead oi merely its continuity, I provide a greater safeguard against an accidental reversal, and atthe some time enable the oporatorto control the switch by a single handle without the necessity of releasing a pawl or similar stop every time the switch is served througlrthe oii' position, and by providing means for interrupting the continuity of movement of a member movable in. a single plane I avoid the necessity of using universal joints or similar complications. 7 I

it is evident that the arrangement of cir-. edits and contacts may be varied as desired Furthermore, the mechanical arrangement of. the parts may be aiteredas, for instance, by placing the cam-slot on the movable switch I To my invention is obviously not limited to this particular construction, but may be applied to the handle or any other suitable member .ofanywell-known type of reversing-switch. r

Thus. when I employ the phrase "swit'ch membeFf in the appended claims I intend to include anymember or" the switch mechanism which moves with the movable contacts and to which my invention may be applied. Accordingly I do not desire to limit myself to the particulaL construction and arrangement of parts here-shown, since changes which do not depart from the spirit of my invention will be obvious to those skilled in the art.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure 12 5 -l. In a reversing-switch for electric circuits, a switch member movable in a single plane and having an oii position and a running position on each side of said off position, 1 0

and means for preventing a unidirectional movement of saidmember from one running position to the other. 1

In a reversing-switch for electric circuits, a switch member movable in a single plane having an off position and a runnin position on each side of said off position, an a. stationary member adapted to be engaged thereby and to prevent a unidirectional movement of said switch member from one running position to the other.'

In a reversing switch for electric cirzuits, a switch member movable in a single olane and having an off positionand a runing position on each side of said off position, ind a stationary member adapted to be en- :agedthereby and to act as a positive sto ;l erefor'at the olf position toprevent a unihrectional movement from one running poiitionto the other. I

4. In a reversing-switch for electric eir-.

:uits, a switch member movable in a single )lane and having an off position and a run iing position on each side of saidofl position, L member carried by said switch member,

[ind 81 stationary cam adapted to be-engaged hereby and to prevent a unidirectional noycment of said switch member from one *unning position to the other. 7 i

5.. In. a reversing-switch for electric cirauits, a switch member having an oil osiion and arunning position on each 'si e of aid oil position, a pivoted spring-pressed leer carried by said switch'member, and a staionary cam-slot adaptcdto be engaged by aid lever and to preventa unidirectional novemcnt of said switch member fromone unning position to the other,

6. In areversing-switch for electric ciruits', aswitch member'having an off osiion and a running position oneach si e of aid 'ofl position, a pivoted spri'ngressed le- 'er carried by said switch mem er, a sta- X ionary cam-slot'adaptedto be engaged by ai lever, and-s ring-pressed dogs coacting rith said slot and saidlever to permit a uni- .irectional movement of said-switch member rom off position to either running position .nd to prevent a unidirectional movement rom one running, position to the other.

side of said ofi position, a spring-actuated lever carriedby said member, and a cam-slot adapted to be engaged with said lever and to enforce alzigzag movement thereof when said switch member is moved irom one running positlon to the other.

9. In combination, a variablespeed electric motor, a rheostat in circuit with the motor-fiel'd for varying the speed at which the motor may run, and a starting-switch for said motor, said switch being constructed and arshape ranged to connect said motor to a source of current-supply at starting independently of said rheostat.

10. In. combination, a variable-speed electric motor, a rheostat in circuit with the inctor-field, means for e m rating said rheosta tto vary the speed of the motor, and a starting switch constructml and arranged to connect said motor to a source of current-supply so as to start with a umlorm resistance in the holdcircult for all positions of the rheostat-operat- ,ing means.

i 1. In combination with an electric motor, a rlfeostat in circuit with the motor-field, means for operating said rheostat to vary the speed oi the-motor, a starting resistance, and

a starting-switch constructed and arranged to connectsaid motor to a source of currentsupply so as to start with said resistance in series with the armature and with a field-Cir cuit independent of the position of the rheostat-operating means.

In witness whereof" I have hereunto set-my hand this 28th day of May, 1904.

EDDY R. WHITNEY.

Witnesses:

DUGALD MoK. MoKrLLoP, Joni: J. WALKER. 

